


The Famous Cousin

by MadmanJrs



Series: RenRen & Risette. [2]
Category: Persona 4, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Comedy, F/M, Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, but on the down low
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:34:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24735493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadmanJrs/pseuds/MadmanJrs
Summary: The Sequel to “What News of Family and Death”.In the midst of tough times for the Phantom Thieves, a surprise comes in the form of Ren’s beloved cousin: Rise Kujikawa.
Relationships: Amamiya Ren & Kujikawa Rise, Amamiya Ren/Niijima Makoto, Kurusu Akira/Niijima Makoto, Niijima Makoto & Kujikawa Rise, Niijima Makoto/Persona 5 Protagonist
Series: RenRen & Risette. [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1788595
Comments: 10
Kudos: 78





	The Famous Cousin

_November 20XX_

Sojiro stretched and placed himself against the back shelf, leaning back and crossing his arms as he sighed after cleaning up. Another old couple that spent two hours at the shop with a single cup of coffee for each of them. The kids were all upstairs and he could vaguely hear words every now and then though not enough to put together a coherent sentence. The latest addition to their group had been that preppy Detective Prince but today he had been nowhere to be found. He wondered how all these different people had flocked to his ward.

A sporty delinquent, a part American fashion model, an aspiring artist, the Shujin Student Council President, his own adopted daughter and the heir to the Okumura Foods conglomerate. Heck, they even had a cat that seemed to hold conversations with the group. Sojiro couldn’t help but chuckle. They were all a bunch of misfits that had been brought together by this one boy. He wondered who would join next. The sound of the door bell ringing and heels clicking on the wooden floorboards broke him out of his thoughts and he moved to greet his latest customer.

It was a young woman wearing a rather fashionable outfit. She had long copper hair that was held down by a wool beanie and as she removed her sunglasses, he could see that she was very pretty. Sojiro’s eyes surveyed her behind his half rimmed glasses. He could have sworn he had seen her somewhere before.

“Good afternoon,” she greeted with a smile.

“Good aftern-“ Sojiro went to return the greeting before the thought struck him “Wait aren’t you…”

* * *

Makoto sat beside her boyfriend as the Phantom Thieves ended their meeting. Akechi hadn’t been invited to this one as it involved the plan to fool him. They were ready to steal Sae’s heart in 3 days and the group had been preparing themselves both physically and mentally. She looked around to see the whole team finishing up their planning and packing away the blueprints of their plan. Her eyes glanced over to Ren. He had a rather focused expression on his face. While she found that particular look on him, she couldn’t help but be worried and feel for her man. The plan hinged not only on his ability to convince Sae but to stay coherent enough to go through with the plan. There was a high chance they could torture him. They would be subjecting their leader to the whims of the enemy.

“Ren,” she said softly.

He turned to her and she grabbed his hand, squeezing it in assurance. He looked confused for a moment before smiling at her.

“We got this,” he said.

She nodded before excusing herself to go to the bathroom. As she descended the steps she heard a customer come in. She hoped she wasn’t going to be a nuisance to Sojiro by appearing when he had customers. That was when she heard the woman speak and she stopped in her tracks. Her eyes widened when she realized who it was.

“Um, hello there,” she said shyly.

* * *

Ren couldn’t help but wonder why Makoto was taking so long. He knew her long enough to know whenever she left momentarily to do something, she’d return rather quickly. It was a habit of hers he had noticed early on when he got to know her. After they started dating, she would very rarely leave his side when it was just the two of them. It was kind of cute, to be honest.

He looked around the room at the rest of his team. Ann and Haru were at the table packing up everything they had been discussing. Morgana was resting on the corner of his bed with Ryuji on the other side munching on a packet of chips. He was almost tempted to chastise Ryuji for getting crumbs all over his bedding but he’ll just have to clean it up later. Yusuke was in the corner sketching and he could see Futaba peering over the artist’s shoulder, watching him work. She’d never admit it but Ren had an inkling of a feeling that Futaba had a little thing for Fox or Stupid Inari as she often called him.

The thought made him think of his feelings for his second in command. Looking back on it, he wasn’t exactly subtle about his crush on Makoto. He had already been pretty attracted to her and would often tell her things that could be easily construed as flirting. The best part was she’d flirt right back but in her own special Makoto way that wasn’t incredibly obvious but boy oh boy did it work on him. She really was a one of a kind girl.

Ren glanced up at the poster of Rise Kujikawa on his wall. Other than Makoto, no one knew of his relation to her. She was his only cousin but was more like an older sister. He wondered how she and Makoto would get along. Rise was quite similar in personality to Ann. Bubbly and energetic and both had a slight penchant for mischief hidden beneath their girly demeanour. No doubt Ryuji and Yusuke (and maybe Morgana) would fawn over her beauty for their own reasons and Haru would try to hold some form of conversation out of courtesy.

He tapped his chin and leant back into his chair, stretching out as he heard the sounds of heels clicking on the wooden steps. He had spent enough time as a Phantom Thief to notice the differences in familiar sounds and smells.

_‘That’s odd, Makoto doesn’t wear heels…’_ he pondered.

He stood up, about to check who it possibly could’ve been when the sight of copper hair greeted him from the top step. His mouth became dry and his eyes opened wide. Her familiar smile graced her lips when she caught him standing there before it turned into a slight frown.

“Ren Amamiya,” she spoke.

He was about to say something when he heard Ryuji yell.

“WOAH IT’S RISE KUJIKAWA!”

“What?!” Ann shrieked, startled from her position over the table.

Beside her Haru turned and gasped, nearly sending Morgana flying in surprise from the bed. Futaba had quickly hidden behind Yusuke, startled a little by the entrance of someone she didn’t really know.

“What is Rise Kujikawa doing here?” the tall boy asked.

_‘What was she doing here?’_ Ren wondered.

How and where did she find out about him living here? No, his parents probably said something. Even if they had tried to hide it, she would have found out about her beloved cousin’s whereabouts somehow.

He heard some more footsteps behind her. Makoto appeared with a rather confused and slightly apologetic expression on her face.

Rise shook her head and took a few steps forward, closer to him.

“So, you’re not going to greet me after not having seen me for over two years?!” she grumbled. “I thought I taught you better than that.”

A small snort escaped his mouth, causing his teammates to look at him in confusion.

“I- sorry,” he laughed. “It’s good to see you, Nee-chan.”

“NEE-CHAN?!” his friends all exclaimed.

Ann caught sight at the silence their Second in Command displayed and frowned.

“Wait, why don’t you look surprised, Makoto?” she asked accusingly.

Makoto gulped down hard and bashfully looked at her boyfriend.

“Ren err… told me a while back,” she replied.

“I thought you were an only child?” Futaba asked, peeking out from Yusuke’s shoulder.

“I am,” Ren answered. “Nee-chan’s my cousin but has been more like an older sister.”

“And a fantastic one at that!” Rise added before walking closer towards Ren. “Now, come here.”

She set down her handbag on the nearby table and opened her arms. Ren wasn’t always the type to show his love and affection, especially in public settings. Even when it came to family members, he preferred witty one liners and quips to outright displays of tenderness. But after everything that had been going on in his life in the past year coupled with seeing his beloved sister figure for the first time in years, he relented.

He needed this.

Two steps forward and he found himself wrapping his arms around her. Screw whatever teasing or comments the other Phantom Thieves would make, he just missed her. They’d understand this little moment of weakness.

He had grown much taller than her since he last saw her and she was now able to fit her head snuggly under the crook of his neck. It was a stark contrast to how they were as kids when Rise would use her height advantage to playfully ruffle his hair, something he often got annoyed at in his young age.

“Come on, guys,” he heard Makoto say. “Let’s give them a moment.”

“Eh? But-“ Ryuji tried to interject before being pulled down the stairs by Ann.

“Let’s go, pervert. You can go perv later, ya perv,” she said all the while dragging the struggling victim along with her.

Yusuke followed suit though not without helping himself to another glance to the celebrity in their midst. A slight jab from Futaba to the sides caused him to look at her in confusion before being ushered downstairs.

“Please, feel free to take your time,” Haru said with a respectful smile, carrying Morgana with her down.

Without the rest of them around, a peaceful silence came over them as he held Rise tightly. After a few moments they finally parted.

“So,” she started. “You’re going to tell me everything about how you got to living in this… what is this, an attic?”

“It’s my room,” Ren answered. “Like what I’ve done with the place?”

Rise snickered. Her baby cousin was still ever the jokester.

“I especially like that plant over there beside… is that a poster of me on your wall?”

“Uh yeah, my friend Ann, the blonde girl, gave it to me and I didn’t have it in me to decline,” Ren said bashfully.

“And yet you still stuck it up,” Rise commented. “Was a picture frame not your style?”

“It’s not like that,” he responded. “I guess I just missed you and seeing your face was calming enough.”

“Aw, aren’t you a sweet kid, RenRen,” she giggled, ruffling his messy hair. “Your parents gave me the gist of what happened but… I want to hear it from you.”

“Uh alright,” Ren said before motioning her to the couch. “Let’s sit for this.”

* * *

“And you really have no idea who that man was?”

Ren shook his head.

“It… it was really dark,” he replied. “I thought I heard his voice again somewhere but… I don’t know, everything was such a blur.”

It had taken a while to fully recount his story. While he had obviously omitted everything related to the Phantom Thieves, he explained his circumstances and how he came to befriend the rest of the gang.

“I see…” Rise muttered sadly. “I wish I could help you but…”

“It’s alright, Nee-chan,” he tried his best to smile. “I’m trying my best to move past it. I have the others to thank for that.”

“They seem like a wonderful bunch. You’ll properly introduce me later?”

He nodded. He loved his friends and he loved Rise. It would mean the world to him if they could get along. He’d have to make sure Ryuji or Yusuke wouldn’t try anything funny.

And then there was the matter of his girlfriend Makoto…

“Hey RenRen?” Rise prodded.

“Yeah?”

“That girl, you said her name was Makoto,” she continued and he had to supress his breath. “Are you two dating?”

Ren spluttered as his cheeks flushed bright red. He could never really hide anything from Rise.

“I uh- how… that obvious huh?” he said, scratching his neck.

“That and when I bumped into her earlier she seemed extremely flustered,” Rise said. “And not in the ‘oh my god, it’s Risette! I’m your biggest fan!’ way. It was as if she knew me from somewhere else.”

Ren dryly chuckled.

“Yeah, I guess so. It came up a while back so I told her,” he responded. “Back when… Grandpa passed.”

The air in the room suddenly felt heavy. In the corner of his eye he could see Rise fiddling with the zipper of her handbag.

“When I got to the wake the first thing I did was look for you,” she said. “You were always the closest with Grandpa and I wanted to make sure you were doing okay. Imagine my surprise to find not one sight of your messy head around.”

“… Yeah…” he murmured.

She gently placed her hand on top of his concern.

“I’ll pray there and clean the grave for you the next time I visit.”

“… Thanks, Nee-chan.”

“But promise me one thing,” she quickly added. “When your probation ends and you’re allowed to go back, you’ll let me know and we can visit his grave together.”

Ren turned his hand over and gripped hers.

“Of course,” he said with a smile.

Rise smiled back before retracting her hand and stretching out in the seat.

“Well now that we’ve talked,” she said before adopting a wry smile. “It’s time to introduce me to your girlfriend.”

“I have other friends here too, y'know.”

Ren sighed as he watched his cousin pick up her handbag before making her way towards the stairs.

“C’mon, RenRen!”

He laughed, hiding his slight annoyance at the use of his childhood nickname.

“Alright, Nee-chan.”

* * *

“What do you think they’re talking about?” Ryuji asked.

“They’re probably just catching up,” Ann guessed. “I mean, didn’t you hear what she said? They hadn’t seen each other in two years.”

“D’you guys wanna listen?” Futaba asked, phone ready in her hand.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Morgana argued. “Probably best to give them privacy.”

“I agree with Mona-chan,” Haru added.

“Still, can you believe that Ren’s related to one of the biggest idols and didn’t tell us?” Ryuji whined.

“I’m sure he had his reasons,” Makoto interjected. “He might have gotten some unwanted attention because of it in the past.”

“Huh, you’d know, eh, Makoto?” Ann smirked much to the Student Council President’s embarrassment.

“I’ve got it!” Yusuke suddenly exclaimed.

“Got what, Yusuke-kun?” Haru asked.

“Oh here we go…” Futaba sighed.

“I shall ask for Ren’s assistance!” he proudly declared. “Rise Kujikawa will be the perfect model for my next piece!”

“You’re really gonna ask Ren if you can draw his older sister?” Ryuji asked.

“Wait, weren’t they just cousins?” Ann asked.

“But he was calling her Nee-chan, right?”

“They’re cousins,” Makoto clarified. “But being both the only children in their families, they were incredibly close to the point that they consider each other actual siblings.”

“Ooh I see! That makes sense,” Ryuji said.

“You’d know, eh, Makoto?” Ann teased again.

The rest of the group laughed along before they heard the sounds of heels clicking on the wooden steps. All of them turned to find Rise emerging from the stairwell, her cousin trailing behind her.

“Hello hello!” the celebrity proudly announced.

“Greetings,” Makoto awkwardly replied.

“O-o-oh he-hello!” Ryuji said, equally as awkward.

“Classic Ryuji,” Futaba snickered from across the table.

“Ren! I had a wonderful id-“ Yusuke started before he was jabbed in the side again by Futaba.

“Not now, Inari!” she hissed.

“Ignore him, Ren,” Ann sighed. “It’s nice to meet you, Kujikawa-san.”

“Oh, please, you don’t need to be so formal!” Rise said with a smile as she walked closer. “You’re all RenRen’s friends!”

“Hey, you call him that too?” Ryuji gasped.

“I’m glad someone else does!” Rise laughed before raising her hand up towards Ryuji.

He slowly lifted his own one up before it was slapped by the older girl with a vibrant high five. He then stared at his hand for a moment.

“I’m never washing this ever again,” he whispered to himself.

“Please wash your hands, Ryuji-kun!” Haru chided.

“Anyways, there’s someone I actually wanted to talk to,” Rise began before her eyes locked onto Makoto who tensed at the attention. “Are you going to introduce me, RenRen?”

Ren who had been uncharacteristically quiet the whole time exhaled the breath he had been holding.

“Right, err… Makoto, this is Nee-chan,” he motioned to Rise. “Nee-chan, this is…”

“RenRen’s first girlfriend!” Rise proudly exclaimed.

The couple in question quickly blushed bright red much to the amusement of the others.

“I-it’s n-nice to meet you!” Makoto said rather quickly. “I’m Makoto Niijima.”

Even Sojiro who had been watching silently had to laugh a little.

“I’m so glad there aren’t any customers right now,” he quietly noted.

“I am Yusuke Kitagawa,” Yusuke declared. “If I could have a moment of your time…”

He was cut off by Ann.

“Ignore him, I’m Ann Takamaki, that’s Ryuji,” she pointed to the boy beside her. “Next to Yusuke is Futaba and on the other side is Haru.”

“And this,” Haru held up the cat in her arms. “Is Morgana-chan!”

“Aw, aren’t you just the cutest little thing!” Rise cooed as she moved to pet Morgana.

“Uh careful, Nee-chan, he doesn’t like being pe-“ Ren began to say before stopping himself at the sight of Morgana calmly letting Rise stroke his fur.

“Mmm that does feel nice,” Morgana purred.

“Hey RenRen, I think he likes me!” Rise grinned.

Ren smiled fondly. After the initial nerves had died down, it seemed everyone had begun to get along with Rise. Makoto had still been flustered by her prodding, however. He was glad at the least that Yusuke had been resigned to forfeiting the idea of asking Rise to model for him. Ren watched as Rise began to look around at all his friends. As if she had been almost studying them.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Hm? Oh nothing,” she shook her head. “Your friends just remind me of mine.” She pointed at Ryuji. “Hey RenRen, doesn’t he remind you of a male Chie?”

The thought caused a snort to escape his mouth.

“Well they both love meat,” he commented much to her amusement.

“And her,” Rise motioned to Makoto who froze at being singled out. “Don’t you think she has a sort of Yukiko-vibe to her?”

Ren froze. He had a bad feeling to where Rise was going with this.

“I suppose that means you have a certain type of girl,” she grinned.

“Nee-chan, no!” he cried.

“Wait, I wanna hear about RenRen’s types!” Ryuji chimed in.

“I too am curious on what Ren finds beautiful,” Yusuke added.

“Now now, we shouldn’t pry into his… tastes?” Haru said. “Is that the right term?”

“Preferences,” Ann said. “And no, we totally should.”

“A-Ann, please!” Makoto blushed.

“Oh, you know,” Rise began, clearly ignoring Ren. “Yukiko was RenRen’s first ever crush so I wasn’t surprised when his first girlfriend was quite like her.”

“Nee-chan!” Ren whined though he wasn’t as upset as one would think.

“Ah, sorry, RenRen!” she laughed.

“Is this err… Yukiko-san… is she…” Makoto mumbled.

“Huh? Oh don’t worry,” Rise smiled. “Yukiko’s actually my senpai from high school… and she’s married.”

“O-oh okay.”

“So she and Yu-san did tie the knot?” Ren asked.

Rise nodded and Ren could sense a hint of underlying sadness in her face. Some things must have been hard to accept. He decided not to press the issue.

“Ah!” Rise suddenly said as she glanced at the clock on the wall. “As much fun as I’m having here, I’m going to be late for a meeting.”

She quickly stood up, taking hold of her handbag again before bowing her head at the teenagers.

“It was nice meeting you all,” she said with a smile. “Be sure to get along with my little brother, okay? And RenRen!” she narrowed her eyes at her cousin. “Call me if anything happens or you need something, yes?”

“Alright, Nee-chan,” he nodded.

With that she left the café, leaving a quiet atmosphere in her wake.

“Well, she was nice,” Ryuji said.

* * *

_January 20XX_

“This must be the place,” Makoto said as she stood, braving the winter cold at the front of a rather lavish apartment building.

It would have normally been hard to get a hold of such a big celebrity like Rise Kujikawa’s contact information, especially considering the hurdles and security a normal person would have had to go through. A normal person, however, didn’t have the great Alibaba at her disposal. The only thing she had to worry about was suddenly reaching out to her boyfriend’s cousin out of the blue.

But that was a trifle matter compared to the real issue. And Rise Kujikawa definitely deserved to know about this.

She pressed the button on the intercom and waited.

“Oh, is that you, Makoto-san?” the voice of Rise called.

“Yes, it’s me Kujikawa-san.”

“One moment, I’ll buzz you up!” Rise replied as the front door unlocked. “It’s apartment five on floor nine.”

“Five on floor night, got it.”

As Makoto stepped through the threshold, she took note of the lobby room. It was decorated with beautiful sculptures and bright green plants standing proudly atop the marble flooring. Even the elevator looked amazing, with silver and gold trimming around the edge. Her own apartment she shared with her sister was quite the fancy one due to Sae’s salary and yet it paled in comparison to this.

_‘The perks of being a top celebrity,’_ she mused.

After a short trip up the elevator, she found herself standing on front of apartment five. Tentatively, she knocked thrice.

“Coming!” a voice called from inside.

The door swung open a few seconds later and Makoto was greeted with the sight of the beautiful Rise Kujikawa, dressed in indoor clothing. She had none of the make-up and hairstyles she was known for during her idol career, instead opting for a bare face and a loose ponytail.

“Come in, Makoto-san!” Rise smiled, motioning Makoto inside.

“Sorry for the intrusion,” Makoto said with a bow.

“Oh, come on, Makoto-san, you don’t need to be so formal,” Rise frowned. “Take a seat on the couch, I’ll get us some tea.”

“O-oh, yes, of course, Kujikawa-san.”

“Rise.”

“Eh?”

“I want you to call me, Rise,” the older woman explained. “I noticed you call your other friends besides Ren by their first names too.”

“Ah, yes but…” Makoto blushed. “Would Rise-san be adequate? This seems a little too…”

“Aw but we could be family in the future!” Rise whined. “Fine fine, if it makes you more comfortable.”

“Thank you, Rise-san,” Makoto said with a bow, fighting the slight pink spreading through her cheeks.

After setting the two of them some tea, the two women sat across from each other in the living room.

“So?” Rise began. “What’s the reason my cousin’s girlfriend messaged me asking to meet? And why isn’t he here? Oh oh! Unless this is your way of trying to get information from me about him?! Is it?!”

“It isn’t,” Makoto said shaking her head before staring down at the floor. “But… it does involve Ren.”

“Is… is something wrong?”

“He um… yeah,” Makoto swallowed. “Sorry, I’m just trying to find the best way to word this.”

“You two didn’t break up, did you?” Rise asked.

“Huh? No,” Makoto vehemently shook her head. “No, it’s not that…”

“Is… is he okay?”

Makoto took a sip of her tea and breathed out.

“Are you familiar with Masayoshi Shido?” she asked.

“You mean the politician? I saw his press conference and… wow, I honestly didn’t expect that,” Rise replied. “My agency wanted me to do some promotional material for his campaign. I’m so glad I declined.”

“Um… I’m going to assume Ren told you about the circumstances behind his supposed assault charge then?”

“Yes, he told me that day at the café…” Rise answered before raising her eyebrows. “Why? Does this have anything to do with Shido?”

Makoto nodded.

“Shido was the one that falsely accused Ren and abused his power to speed up the trial and charges so he wouldn’t be exposed.”

“That’s… that’s horrible!” Rise cried. “I can’t believe someone would do that to a high schooler. My poor little RenRen!”

“It… gets worse,” Makoto continued. “I can’t exactly go into the details but… Ren had been, let’s say working with some others to bring Shido’s corruption to light and err… not all of it may have been completely legal.”

“Is… did something happen? Is Ren okay?”

The tears had begun to well up in Makoto’s eyes again and she willed herself not to show such weakness in front of Rise.

“He um… he turned himself in last week.”

“What? Why?”

“Err that is…” Makoto droned, tapping her chin trying to find the right words to use. “Well, he was the best… asset to use for a testimony against Shido but that would also mean…”

“… Admitting to those things he did,” Rise finished for her. “The things you mentioned earlier.”

“That would… be correct,” Makoto said.

“I see… I… won’t ask for details.”

“Mmm…” Makoto murmured.

“Thank you for letting me know, Makoto-san,” Rise said sadly. “That boy… ever since he was a child he used to keep his problems to himself. Didn’t stop us from finding out, though.” The recollection brought her to a light giggle. “Grandma used to bribe him with food just so he’d be in the mood to talk. And let me tell you, that boy sure can eat.”

The joke caused Makoto to laugh.

“And yet he’s still so thin!” she chuckled. “Where on earth does it go?”

“I used to joke around saying it all went to his hair,” Rise said causing Makoto to laugh even harder.

After a while their laughter had died down.

“I needed that laugh,” Makoto said, wiping a tear from her eye.

“Me too…”

Silence had come over them and Makoto took to drinking her tea again, despite it having already cooled down.

“Is… there anything I can do to help?” Rise asked.

“We’ve been trying to find the woman from that night,” Makoto explained. “It might be tough but if we can get her to retract her statement about Ren…”

“It may help prove his innocence.”

“Correct.”

“How… how is that going?”

“Not that good, to be honest,” Makoto sighed. “My sister is leading the case against Shido so naturally she’s also trying to put together a case for Ren’s innocence.”

“Your sister, huh?” Rise said, trying to think. “Wait, your surname is Niijima, correct? Any relation to the prosecutor Sae Niijima?”

“You know my sister?” Makoto’s eyes widened.

“Not personally but I do like to watch the news every now and then,” Rise answered. “That and my agency had said it was a shame that she was working in law instead of the entertainment industry with how beautiful she is and all.”

“She is very pretty,” Makoto nodded. “But that’s beside the point.”

“Right, of course,” Rise apologized. “Would you like some assistance? My best friend, Naoto is a pretty good detective.”

“… Naoto… detective?” Makoto pondered before the thought struck her. “Wait, Naoto Shirogane?”

“Yup! The original Detective Prince!” Rise said proudly. “Not some wannabe that only ever shows up on talk shows like that Akechi kid. Naoto’s the real deal!”

“I-I’m a fan, actually,” Makoto admitted. “I used to follow her big cases before she moved to Inaba. Wow, this is a really small world,” she laughed. “My boyfriend’s cousin is an idol and her best friend is the original Detective Prince.”

“Tell me about it.”

“I don’t want to bother Shirogane-san though, I’m sure she already has enough work on her hands…” Makoto said.

“She’ll want to help,” Rise argued. “My friends have always had a soft spot for RenRen,” she continued to explain. “Even as a kid, he’d always want to help out with whatever he could. I remember my senpai in high school telling me about the time he found RenRen trying to keep this rather aloof girl in his grade from getting too lost. The poor boy was chasing her around all over town because she’d end up in the weirdest places,” Rise laughed as she reminisced before looking Makoto directly in her eyes. “I’m sure he’s already gone out of his way to do things for you and your friends.”

Makoto smiled. Ren was such a selfless person.

“Yeah, he really has,” she nodded. “I don’t know what I would have done without him, what any of us would have done without him.”

“Sounds like he did a lot for you guys,” Rise noted.

“Yes… yes he did.”

“You really do love him, don’t you, Makoto-san?” Rise asked.

Makoto looked at the older woman and nodded. They both loved him dearly in their own way.

“I do,” Makoto responded with vigour. “I love him with all my heart. Which is why I need to get him back.”

Rise smiled and got up off the couch before moving closer to Makoto. Without warning, she wrapped her arms around the younger woman and enveloped her in a warm embrace.

“Thank you for telling me,” Rise whispered. “Whatever you need, Makoto-san. Let’s get him back.”

* * *

_March 20XX_

Ren had to hold his hand over his mouth to stifle the yawn that threatened to escape. Even after his release he still found himself being quite busy these days. Catching up on school work sucked but was important and he still had to help his friends and confidants. At least today was both a Saturday and a half day. He could get some rest before going to help out Sojiro with the shop tonight.

“Ah, Amamiya-kun,” he heard Kawakami say. “Don’t forget your assignment is due on Monday.”

“The essay?” Ren asked. “I’ve finished my draft. I was just going to get Makoto to look over it before I handed it in.”

“Well, just make sure you aren’t relying on your girlfriend too much, okay?” Kawakami smirked.

“’Course not,” Ren grinned. “See you next week, Sensei.”

“Have a good weekend.”

As Ren made his way down the stairs towards the entrance lobby, he noticed a large group of students had gathered.

“Was there something happening today?” Morgana asked, poking his head out of the bag for a second.

“No? I don’t think so,” Ren replied.

As he walked closer, he began to overhear some of the students.

“Is that really her?”

“But why would she be coming to our school?”

“You don’t think she has a boyfriend here?”

“No way, if anything, maybe she’s related to someone here.”

“Or maybe she’s just interested in the school after all the news coverage we’ve had.”

“I still don’t get why a celebrity like her would come though…”

The word celebrity set something off in Ren’s head. There was no way…

“Excuse me,” he said, pushing past some of the students.

As the road in front of the school came into view, he saw the woman that had garnered everyone’s attention standing off to the side, as if she was waiting for someone.

And he had a strong inkling that someone was him.

As he descended the steps her eyes met his and her lips curved into a massive grin.

‘Oh no…’ Ren thought.

“RENREN!” Rise called out in excitement.

He could already hear the murmurs of the students around him. He sighed, deciding to say something to clarify the situation before the student body spread incorrect rumours.

“What are you doing here, Nee-chan?”

“Rise Kujikawa is related to that delinquent?!” he heard someone gasp.

“I can hardly believe it.”

“Wait, didn’t you hear? His whole assault charge was false! Amamiya-san was framed by Shido.”

“As if that man couldn’t get any worse.”

The whispers had gradually become louder and Rise noticed something in Ren’s face.

“I… probably shouldn’t have dropped by here, huh?” she said in an embarrassed hush. “Let’s go, I parked nearby.”

“Sure…”

Ren could still feel the eyes of the Shujin student body glued to him as he followed Rise around the bend. After walking a little bit, Rise stopped in front of her car. A rather flashy looking SUV.

“Grandpa would be so mad about you driving this,” Ren teased.

“If it were up to Grandpa, I’d be driving the Tofu Shop Truck,” Rise countered. “Come on, get in. There’s something I want to show you.”

“Uh alright?”

“Guess I’ll just stay quiet,” Ren heard Morgana mutter to himself.

“Did you just hear a cat?” Rise wondered.

“Must’ve been these leather seats,” Ren joked.

“No way, they’re brand new,” Rise disagreed. “Oh well!”

As Rise drove, Ren couldn’t help but notice the direction they were heading. It was almost like they were going to… Yongen?

“Where are we going, Nee-chan?” he asked.

“You’ll see,” she said rather cryptically. “But besides that, I heard you’re going back to Okina City after this semester?”

“Only temporarily,” Ren clarified. “I’ll be coming back to Tokyo before the next school year starts. Wait, where did you hear that from anyways?”

“From Makoto-san.”

“Ehh…”

“Anyways, we’re here,” she said as she parked by the curb.

As he stepped foot out of the car, he recognized his surroundings. They were indeed in the Yongen area albeit several streets away from Leblanc.

“This way,” Rise said and Ren nodded, following her towards what looked like a newly built apartment complex.

“What is this place?” Ren asked.

“Oh this? It’s a new apartment building they built over the old one.”

“I can see that,” Ren dryly remarked.

“I have to ask though, when you come back to Tokyo,” Rise continued. “Will you be staying in that attic again?”

“I haven’t really given it much thought but,” he shrugged. “I guess so? I’ve gotten a little used to it.”

“Hmm… I see,” she pondered before fishing a set of keys out of her handbag and opening the front door.

“You have the keys to this place?” Ren asked.

“Yup. I actually bought the top most apartment,” Rise smiled as she stepped inside. “C’mon.”

“Wait why? Makoto said your home in Omotesando was extremely luxurious,” Ren said. “Unless you’re planning on renting it out for some extra money, which I don’t think you need Miss about to star in a TV drama.”

He watched her press the up button on the elevator.

“Oh you found out about that?” Rise said, clearly ignoring Ren’s more important observation.

“Nee-chan…”

The lift doors opened. He had an inkling of where she was going with this.

“Hurry your butt up, RenRen, this elevator doesn’t wait for slowpokes!” she laughed.

“Fine fine.”

He relented, following his cousin into the elevator before watching her press the button for the seventh floor.

“Nee-chan, what’s this really ab-“ he began to ask before she cut him off.

“Uh ah!” she wagged her finger. “Wait until you see the place I bought first.”

He sighed and waited for them to reach the top floor. The doors reopened and soon enough they found themselves at their destination. A proud white door with a rather modern knob stood proud, a stark contrast from the rustic look of LeBlanc’s front door. He watched as Rise fumbled the keys in her hand before unlocking it.

“Welcome!” Rise said with a smile as she opened the door and walked in.

“Thanks?” Ren replied before stepping in himself.

“Wrong!” Rise frowned before smiling. “Try again.”

“Uh… I don’t know?” he shrugged. “Thanks for the hard work?”

She flicked him on the forehead and presented a rather fake and over the top looking pout.

“Ow!” Ren cried out.

“You’re supposed to say ‘I’m home’, RenRen,” Rise ordered.

“… Nee-chan…” Ren sighed. His intuition was proved correct. “Did you really just… buy me a house? You didn’t have to…”

“What are you talking about? This is under my name,” she bluntly huffed.

“Then why am I here? A welcoming party?”

“Weeeell!” Rise started in a rather sing-song tone. “Since I already have my home in Omotesando and I’m often travelling across the country for events and programs… I figure I’d rent it out.”

“… Did you have anyone in mind?” Ren asked.

“Oh, I think this place would be perfect for my little brother,” Rise smiled. “Don’t you?”

He sighed. Rise was always so playful, especially when it came to pranking him. But he adored that about her. He didn’t have much friends growing up and the ones he thought he did have before the incident soon turned on him. But he had her and that was enough for him until the met the Phantom Thieves.

“You really had to do that to me, huh?”

“Of course,” Rise said before grabbing a handful of Ren’s hair and ruffling it with such vigour, he thought it might burn off.

“Nee-chan, please,” Ren begged. “My hair’s going to fall off.”

“Oh shush, with the way your hair grows, it’ll be back to normal within a week,” she laughed.

After a few moments she finally ended her one woman assault on his head. Ren fluffed it back into place before surveying the apartment. The living and dining room were combined with two large floor to ceiling length windows on the western side. There was a glass door between them leading to what appeared to be a small balcony. Closer to the entrance was the kitchen. It was smaller than the LeBlanc one, obviously but still rather spacious for an apartment kitchen. Beside the kitchen was a hallway with two doors on the left side and two on the right.

“How many bedrooms does this place have?” he asked.

“Two,” Rise answered. “Plus its own bathroom and water closet. Plus the landlady said pets like cats are allowed too.”

Ren’s honed ears could hear the meow of approval coming from his back. He tried to hide the noise Morgana had made.

“Is… is there a bathtub?!” Ren excitedly asked.

“Yeah?”

“AW YEAH!” he cheered.

That was probably the most animated Rise had seen Ren since reconnecting with him. She swore she could hear him muttering something about no longer having to share baths with elderly men that had a fetish for scalding hot water. The sight caused her to giggle.

“What is it?” he asked after finally composing himself.

“It’s nothing,” Rise said. “Here.”

She held her hand out to Ren. He raised his eyebrow at her but did the same. The metallic edges of a set of keys fell neatly into his hand.

“Are you sure about this, Nee-chan?” he asked. “I mean, I know you’re pretty loaded now but… it’s a whole apartment.”

“RenRen, it’s fine,” Rise insisted. “I’ve already paid for most of it and I’m willing to pay the rest.”

“But still, I don’t want to just take this from you without doing anything,” he argued.

“I told you, its fine, RenRen,” she smiled. “Think of it as me repaying my little brother for keeping me from falling apart when I was being bullied. And for all the things you’ve done for all your friends.” Ren raised a curious eyebrow at her and she explained. “Makoto-san told me.”

“You two have been talking?”

“Yup! She’s great,” Rise grinned. “I approve of her.”

Ren smiled softly. That meant a lot to him.

“Now I know you’re a big boy now, RenRen,” Rise started to say. “But just because you have your own house now doesn’t mean you can invite your girlfriend over for some Big Banging.”

Ren’s entire face flushed bright red.

“N-Nee-chan!”

“I’m just teasing!” she laughed. “I trust you two will be smart, okay? Makoto-san seems like a very intelligent young lady.”

“She is,” Ren smiled.

“And so are you,” Rise said.

“Huh? What do you mean, I’m not a lady,” he said in jest.

“That’s not what I meant and you know it,” she groaned before stepping closer to him. “Come here though.”

She pushed her arms under his and wrapped him in a warm hug. He could feel the strong feelings of sisterly love coming from her, enveloping him in this embrace.

“I love you, little brother,” he heard her say against his chest. “And I’ll always be proud of you.”

He returned the hug, resting his head on hers.

“I know,” he replied. “I love you too, Nee-chan.”

As they broke the hug, Ren noticed Rise looking at him with an intense gaze.

“What is it?”

“But no, really,” she began. “No funny stuff with Makoto-san in this apartment, okay?!”

“NEE-CHAN!!”

**Author's Note:**

> I've always wanted to write a sequel to "What News of Family and Death", especially one that had Rise reuniting with Ren as well as interacting with the Phantom Thieves in some way.
> 
> Ren has such an open backstory that it leaves a lot for fan authors to play with and I had always liked the idea of linking P5 with P4 in some way. The plotline for this fic had been done a while back but I had just never gotten around to it but now that I've been playing Royal, it's reignited the P5 fire in me.
> 
> Hopefully this was a fun read for you and I'm hoping I can expand more on the post-canon ideas I have for Persona 5. Just wondering how I'll fit the Royal stuff in it.
> 
> I'm thinking of calling it "The Madmanverse". Hehehe.
> 
> As always, leave a kudos and comment if you can!
> 
> Til next time.


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